"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Ps. 71:14)
A little taste of "live" is always better than a whole lot of fake.
Schultz once said that there was some of Charlie Brown in him. Perhaps there is a little of Charlie is all of us; some just deal and/or cover it better than others. In "A Charlie Brown Christmas," we see a mournful Charlie Brown lamenting, when his contemporaries make fun of his scrawny Christmas tree, and want to modernize Christmas, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" Linus then comes forward with Luke 2. By the way, The Washington Post has an article today about a school district in Texas which is taking a nurse's aide to court over posting Linus' reading of the Christmas Story.
Our text sounds like a determination rather than a succumbing to what seems to be the case around the psalmist. Life will attempt to take hope from us. Day to day events will sometimes crash upon us, seemingly affirming the pessimist's view of life, e.g., "All is lost. Mankind just keeps descending ever more rapidly into, "the Abyss." But then, my friend, I commend our text to us anew today, "As for me," when all others may be giving up, surrendering to hopelessness, "I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Job asked, "Where then is my hope?" This is key to understanding today's text. The hope of which the psalmist speaks is not some illusive, ethereal "hope." It is a well-placed, "hope," a "hope...built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness."
Schultz once said that there was some of Charlie Brown in him. Perhaps there is a little of Charlie is all of us; some just deal and/or cover it better than others. In "A Charlie Brown Christmas," we see a mournful Charlie Brown lamenting, when his contemporaries make fun of his scrawny Christmas tree, and want to modernize Christmas, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" Linus then comes forward with Luke 2. By the way, The Washington Post has an article today about a school district in Texas which is taking a nurse's aide to court over posting Linus' reading of the Christmas Story.
Our text sounds like a determination rather than a succumbing to what seems to be the case around the psalmist. Life will attempt to take hope from us. Day to day events will sometimes crash upon us, seemingly affirming the pessimist's view of life, e.g., "All is lost. Mankind just keeps descending ever more rapidly into, "the Abyss." But then, my friend, I commend our text to us anew today, "As for me," when all others may be giving up, surrendering to hopelessness, "I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Job asked, "Where then is my hope?" This is key to understanding today's text. The hope of which the psalmist speaks is not some illusive, ethereal "hope." It is a well-placed, "hope," a "hope...built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness."
Depressed, discouraged, wanting to just give up, yield to the hopelessness of Job's wife, "curse God and die"? Repeat after me, "AS FOR ME, I WILL ALWAYS HAVE HOPE; I WILL PRAISE YOU MORE AND MORE."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "I will praise you more and more." You have enabled me to, "always have hope." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
